Lesser Sunda eco-region which included in Coral Triangle is the highest biological diversity in the world and habitat for 76% coral reef species and 2,631 reef fish species. Lesser Sunda is also a migration path of the Cetacean and six sea turtle species from Indian Ocean to Pacific Ocean.
Through support from USAID Marine Protected Areas Governance (MPAG) Project, Margareth A. Cargill, and Mac Arthur Foundation, WCS developed program in West Nusa Tenggara by supporting Gili Matra Marine Tourism Park authority, Marine and Fisheries Department of West Nusa Tenggara Province, and local government. The aims of our work in West Nusa Tenggara are to:
- improve conservation of key biodiversity areas in this province through establishment of marine protected areas,
- improve marine protected area management effectiveness,
- develop and implement grouper and snapper fisheries management plan at three key fisheries area in Sumbawa Island, and
- reduce threats to sharks and rays species from fishing activities.
THREAT
Main threats to biodiversity in this province are:
- Degradation of coastal and marine resources from destructive and unsustainable fishing practices;
- Lack of capacity in managing marine and fisheries resources, including management of marine protected area,
- Lack of public awareness on environmental sustainability.
WHAT WE DO
We started our work in West Nusa Tenggara in 2002. Through USAID Marine Protected Areas Governance (MPAG) Project, WCS-IP assisted the management authority of Gili Meno, Ayer and Trawangan (Gili Matra) Marine Tourism Park to improve the management effectiveness. In 2013, we expand our working area to West Lombok, Central Lombok, and East Lombok Regencies to assist establishment and management improvement of marine protected areas (MPA). In 2014, we continued to expand to Sumbawa Island to work at 4 regencies to initiate our grouper-snapper fisheries project.
WCS in West Nusa Tenggara have been working to:
(i) identify the key biodiversity areas for conservation and establishment of MPA,
(ii) assist local government and stakeholders to improve MPA management effectiveness,
(iii) shark fishing monitoring and community engagement to reduce threats to sharks and rays species, and
(iv) develop and implement sustainable grouper-snapper fisheries management.
In West Nusa Tenggara WCS have been successfully assisting local governments and communities to:
(i) increase protection to coastal and marine resources through establishment of 270 thousand Ha of MPAs,
(ii) assist the transfer MPA management authority from regency to provincial government as mandated by Law No.23/2014,
(iii) assist the establishment of MPA management institution at provincial level,
(iv) assist development of grouper-snapper fisheries management plan through rigorous scientific approach and consultative process with stakeholders, and
(v) develop pilot model of sustainable financing mechanism to support community based surveillance in MPA